OUTCOME, GOOD OR BAD
Only time will tell
1
) DR A P J ABDUL KALAM
2
) ABRAHAM LINCOLN
3
) RAMAYAN
4
) AMITABH BACHAN
5
) HEMA MALINIe
6
) DR SANKURATHRI CHANDRASEKHAR
7
) ARVIND KEJRIWAL
8
) RAMDEV BABA
Abdul
Kalam Sir writes in his Wings of Fire “ After completing Aeronautical
Engineering bachelor degree attended for the interview for his dream job
Airforce Pilot. I was number 10 where 9 candidates were selected. In my
desperate moment I visited Sivanand Ashram in Rishikesh. Swamiji consoled me
with the following words. “ You might have been destined to do bigger things.
That may be the reason why God didn’t allow you to write your own script “”.
The rest is history which all of us are well aware of.
Abraham
Lincoln’s travel from local councilor to President of the United States of
America is a legend for it’s disproportionate number of successes and failures
in quick succession on which many books
are written. It led to his mental breakdown at one time speaks volumes about
this.
Our
own Ramayana and Rama and Sita’s life are full of twist and turns which made
them eternal figures of worship in India if not the world.
Amitabh
Bachan was rejected by Akashvani for his
voice. Not only his screen presence but also his voice is the main attraction
of his Kaun Banega Karodpati. His celluloid life is a legend by itself.
Hema
Malini was considered with Jayalalitha as a co star for a tamil film and screen
test was conducted by the then famous director Sridhar. She was rejected. This
made her will and efforts strong. Every cinemagoer in India knows that later on
she became a “ Dream girl of India “. Even at 75 years she is called like that.
Recently
I came across a person from our home town Kakinada, Padmasri Sankurathri
Chandrasekhar. His foundation is running a super speciality eye hospital and a
school for the poor. Till now it carried two lakh eye operations for the poor
apart from regular eye care to around two million people of the Godavari districts.
A chemical engineering doctorate NRI working in Canada lost his wife and
children in the unfortunate ghastly Kanishka air crash in 1985. When he felt
that his life suddenly turned purposeless, he took a different direction. I
could only feel that God is very unkind to some good people.
Now
take the case of Mr Aravind Kejriwal. A successful IIT graduate, then an IRS
career, giving it up for taking up social causes, succeeding in great
constitutional act of Right To Information, winning a prestigious Raman
Magasasay Award, Fighting against corruption along with a noted Gandhian Anna
Hazare, shifting the nation’s focus on corruption and then getting elected as
the Chief Minister of Delhi 3 times. But ultimately it culminated into his
arrest in the alleged liquor scam. Apart from the physical problems, his hard
build reputation is at stake. The truth behind the scam will come out in due
course of time. But for the person like him on introspection it will be very
difficult to decide whether good resulted in bad or bad resulted in good as far
as outcomes are concerned.
Baba
Ramdev’s Patanjali competing with multi nationals is a corporate case study for
budding entrepreneurs apart from his iconic image in propagating Yoga all over
the world. It is not exaggeration to say that due to Patanjali Indian medicine
and therapy took a rebirth. But recently Supreme Court not only made scathing
comments on the false claims, advertisements
and statements on the other forms of medicine but not even ready to
accept his apologies. Again the conclusion is same as in Kejriwal’s case.
All
these will show that today’s failure may lead to tomorrow’s success and vice
versa. Hence it is justified to celebrate or disappoint at that moment as a
natural process. But it’s ridiculous to be either become arrogant and proud or
depressed, mental breakdowns and thinking about suicide.
Keeping
the above, I would like to talk about the some life events. There may be some
points in my childhood which really didn’t count as they didn’t affect the
major outcomes. But the first thing that filled with joy not only for me but also
for our entire family when I secured 163rd rank in the Common
engineering entrance test of combined state of AP. It ensured a seat in any of
the only 7 to 8 engineering colleges existing at that time in the state. In
those days getting a seat in any professional college almost guarantee a good
stable future career which were very rare. Securing a job was vital in those
days for our family. But it permanently shut the door on my profession Law.
Technical subjects were never my first interest.
6
months before completing my engineering degree I secured an excellent 98.49
percentile score in the all India GATE exam. It could have fetched a seat in
any IIT or IISc. But it did not result that way because our exams were not
finished in time due to the then prevailing condition created by my favorite
actor turned politician NTR. It created such a situation that I had to be idle
for one year to study further. It was very difficult with the circumstances
prevailing at our home. But that gave an opportunity for me to meet Bharat
Ratna Dr C N R Rao, a noted soil scientist the then Director of IISc. He
consoled me with the words that my skill, intelligence, capability and hard
work would not go waste and result in future success if not now. These words
from a great person filled me with hope.
Apart from this I could observe his simplicity and modesty during this brief
meet. It transformed me.
Just
before my final year theory exams are finished I got an offer letter as an
executive trainee in NTPC. On the scheduled date I could not go because it
clashed with the my final viva exam which is a prerequisite to get the
engineering degree. I was disappointed. My letter of request for change of date
did not elicit any response. But as a God sent opportunity, my elder brother
had to go to Delhi in one of his trivial business trips. I asked him to enquire
personally in the NTPC Corporate headquarters. To our utter
surprise and delight, they informed him for me to report in two three days.
Without wasting time I and my father immediately started for Delhi in the next
available train. Thus started a great career of 37 years in a Maharatna company
which made me the person what I am today. I can say I also contributed a little
in making this company from 3000 to around 73000 MW and backbone to a
developing country like India. But on the flop side it permanently shut the
door on my dream career of business administration or management. Again as I
said earlier technical field was never my first preference though I worked
tirelessly throughout. It again proved that the opening of a big seemingly
important door may shut other doors to places which you would really like to
enter.
After
one year training I had the opportunity to choose the location of posting and
the department. In 1987, there was only one NTPC plant in South India at
Ramagundam. In those days transportation and communication facilities were big
bottlenecks in the country. Hence it was natural for everyone to prefer to get
a job nearer to their homes and home towns in a big and diversified country. Added
to this at that time, my father was posted to a place just 20KM from
Ramagundam. Because of all these I made up my mind to prefer Ramagundam. I got
it. For this I had to chose a department in which you have to work three shifts
in monotonous job. In the process I had to work for 13 years in that
department.
Ultimately
after 13 years I was posted in another department where there was no shift
duty. But this department was accompanied with many emergencies and any time
work which includes not only mental but physical pressure. It was always
bouquets and brickbats in quick succession and sometimes even simultaneously.
But in the process, I could stay for more than 27 years in the same place which
very few people did in NTPC. But long stay resulted in some other problems like
jealousy and suspicion among some colleagues and seniors. It ultimately
culminated into a vigilance case which
is a nightmare for any public servant in India. As was the case it
permanently threatened and affected my career. But anyway immediately this
hurdle had to be faced head on and crossed. There was no second choice as
pending enquiry; one is not even allowed to leave the job. Coming out of this
case was a big challenge and we had to cross many hurdles and it took more than
than four years. In between one of the colleagues involved died as he was not
able to withstand the pressure shows the magnitude of the problem.
Due
to the above case, I was given a transfer order to Vindhyachal. This order came
like a bolt from the blue. At that time, both my parents were old and need
attention. My elder daughter just completed her engineering and got an offer
from TCS. In one or two years we were planning to marry her and start searching
a groom. It is really a very wrong time to shift to remote North Indian place
after spending these many years in our area. As some good people helped, it was
changed to Vallur near Chennai after six months on a Diwali day. Our family was
really happy and relieved. However, everyone in the company including our
Regional Director, Executive Director, all well-wishers and friends told that
it was difficult place to work with lot of problems. In fact many sympathized
with me. Our RED personally showed me that present generation is zero for a
1500 MW capacity plant and looking forward for desperate improvement to keep up
the reputation of the company with the JV partner. Being a joint venture itself
is a big problem without any financial support from parent NTPC. I also could
actually sense the magnitude as soon as I landed there. But I can say without
doubt that this was a glorious period in my entire career. Facing the problems,
solving them and getting recognition gave immense personal and professional
satisfaction. Apart from that one of my suggestion on CSR, not my field was
awarded, appreciated by CMD and implemented in many plants of NTPC. Personally
also I could perform marriages of my brother’s son and my daughter. As this is
a part of metro city with lot of medical facilities we could take care of my
mother’s health emergencies.
Then
came Covid in 2020 which shook all over the world. It was particularly more
threatening because power is an essential requirement and power plants had to
be run at any cost and this particular plant is nearer to metro and many
workers to attend commute to attend daily work. Within three months of covid
spread in India two important people died in our plant. Due to prevailing
cirmstances I was made Covid committee chairman. It was really a tight rope
walk being a in charge of vital maintenance department and conflicting post of
in charge of preventing covid spread and limiting it’s impact. But this post
really fulfilled my life long desire of managing people, crises and service to
the people. Even a world crisis may turn out to be an opportunity for you if
you try to face head on. However I pray god that this planet should never face
this type of problem again in future.
After
lot of hard work and crossing whole lot of hurdles, I could get what I felt I
really deserve much before. Ultimately I was promoted and posted to Farakka
near Bangladesh border. Before we were really started swallowing the news and
get excited I received two three phone calls warning me that It is a difficult
place to work due to legacy problems. But what worried us more was lack of
proper medical facilities and it was not possible to take my mother with us.
Though she was happy about my promotion she was disappointed about this fact.
She died within five months. Keeping up it’s reputation, the project had lot of problems technical and
administrative. One by one we could come out and trying to stabilize. But some
unexpected problems continued to crop up
and I was boldly facing them using my experience and as usual with family
support. Meanwhile we were able to find a groom for our second daughter. It is
no mean achievement staying very from our home state. We were preparing for
marriage arrangements apart from my office work. Then again there was another
big shock. This time in the mode of an Industrial accident and a an unfortunate
contract worker’s death. Contrary to all norms and prevailing practice I, a
general manager was suspended leaving my subordinates. I was not even allowed
to leave the station. It was exactly only one month for our daughter’s marriage
and performing a traditional marriage need our presence. It created lot of
tension. My elder daughter and Son in Law came to our rescue and did all the
arrangements. My suspension was revoked after ten days and we were allowed to
go with the condition that I should reply for the charges within 15 days.
Though I gave a suitable reply in my perception, I was punished with an
increment cut and the circumstances surrounding this disturbed my wife also in
fact more than me this time. We both thought enough is enough after all these
years of service and took premature retirement after 3 month notice period.
I
started with the incidents of some famous people. This is not for comparing
myself with them. I am not that naïve. It is only for emphasizing my logic. Not
only life is a mixed bag but also every major event is a mixed bag. Good is
shadowed by bad and bad is coupled with good. It’s not for creating a dilemma
in the decision making process. It’s only proper to take a rational decision
with proper SWOT analysis. Not taking decision is a failure before starting. It
is for taking the outcome with more equanimity. Don’t get heavily depressed or excited
for any outcome as it may turn out to be otherwise later on.
KARMANYE
VADHIKARASTE MAFALESHU KADHACHANA
MAA
KARMA FALAYESHU BHUTE MAATO SANGOSTYA KARMANI
